This invention relates to an inflatable pool and particularly to an inflatable pool having an inflatable wall with axially extending and intercommunicated elongated air compartments. The compartments are formed by axial heat seal seams at the outer side of the wall and on the interior of the wall. Each of the heat seal seams on the outer side is staggered with respect to the interior seams
It is known in the art to provide a portable and collapsible inflatable pool for use as a bath tub or a swimming pool for children. A typical inflatable pool which was available heretofore, includes a tubualr inflatable wall with a single tubular air compartment which is usually fabricated in a smaller size and height because of the weakness of its construction. There is also provided another form of inflatable pool which has a tubular inflatable wall with two or more intercommunicated tubular air compartments structurally interconnected along ring-shaped heat seal seams. Such a construction permits the fabrication of a larger pool, but, when a large quanity of water is held in the pool, the wall thereof becomes deformed. Therefore, it is still necessary to provide a stronger and stiffer wall for a large inflatable pool which is capable of bearing greater fluid pressure.
A strong construction for inflatable articles, such as seat cushions, mattresses, life rats, lift jackets, sleeping bags and the like was proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,030,640. These articles are composed of permanently inflated non-communicating compartments whose individual puncturing and deflation will not result in the deflation of the other compartments. Since the permanently inflated non-communicating compartments cannot allow the article to be deflated and collapsed into a compact and portable size, such a construction is not suitable for the fabrication of a pool which is large and therefore must necessarily be deflated when it is stored.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,547,919 disclosed the construction of multi-compartmented inflatable articles in which heat seal seams are reformed and reinforced. The invention of the present application uses a similar construction in fabricating an inflatable pool.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 738,067 filed on May 24, 1985 now U.S. Pat. No. 4,651,360, by the same inventor as the present invention, discloses an inflatable pool which comprises a base sheet and a hollow-shaped inflatable wall having its bottom end heat-sealed to the edge of the base sheet. The wall is provided with outer heat seal seams and inner heat seal seams which extend axially and divide the wall into a plurality of elongated air compartments that intercommunicate and structurally interconnect. The outer heat seal seams are staggered with respect to the inner heat seal seams and the outer portion of the wall is a continuous seal free portion.
Other pertinent prior art relating to an inflatable pool are U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,361,544; 3,780,388 and 4,360,396, and French Pat. No. 1,408,023. It is noted that none of the above noted prior art ever disclosed a pool structure having a smooth and flat outer surface on the wall portion. Besides, the pool structure disclosed in the prior art does not have a strong construction.